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21 District 214 Students Named 2017 National Merit Semifinalists

Twenty-one High School District 214 students have been named Semifinalists in the 62nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

The program also announced 72 students from District 214’s six comprehensive high schools received Commended Scholars status and three were also named National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars.

Semifinalists include Buffalo Grove High School students Colin Groh, Benjamin Justie and Sarah Smith; Elk Grove High School student Emily Stegmeier; John Hersey High School students Joshua Blankenship, Camilla Branas, Kelly McCarthy, John Nelson, Kelsey Philipps, Anne Plecki and Maximilian Weiss; Prospect High School students Katelyn Baudouin, Patrick Doyle, Matthew Kowalski, Riley Langefeld, Michael Stanford and Ravi Trivedi; Rolling Meadows High School students Lauren Anfenson, Robert Heck and Amanda Jarosik; and Wheeling High School student Matthew Hoffman.

These 21 students are among about 16,000 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists nationwide. Last year, 17 District 214 students reached the Semifinalist level. National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars include Prospect’s Alex Guerra and Wheeling’s Sean Dulkoski and Liset Garcia Pena.

The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $33 million that will be offered next spring.

To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and his or her high school must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

From the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level and will be notified of this designation beginning in February.